I. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a dental laser system and, more particularly, to a dental laser system using an erbium laser and a sapphire fiber strand for delivering the laser output to the treatment site in a dental application.
II. Description of the Prior Art
There are previously known dental laser systems which have been developed by the assignee of the present invention which utilize a pulsed YAG laser to perform various dental treatments in the mouth of the patient. These previously known lasers typically utilize a neodimium doped YAG laser.
With these previously known systems, the YAG laser is contained within a housing having a laser output port. In order to deliver the YAG laser output to the mouth of the patient, an elongated quartz fiber strand extends between the laser output port on the housing and a handpiece which is manipulated by the dentist. The quartz fiber strand has a small diameter, typically about 300 microns, and is flexible in use thereby allowing the dentist to manipulate the strand to the desired delivery site in the patient's mouth.
These previously known quartz fiber strands, however, have been unsuitable for use with an erbium doped YAG laser. More specifically, the erbium doped YAG laser, due to its wavelength, tends to break down and otherwise degregate the integrity of the quartz fiber so that the quartz fiber cannot be used with the erbium doped laser.
Although articulated arms with mirrors may be used to deliver the erbium doped laser output to the treatment site, such articulated arms have proven to be awkward, clumsy and therefore undesirable to use.